Stay Mentally Focused During Your Workout
January 29, 2017 17:44

Are you struggling with staying focused throughout your workouts? It is easy to get distracted when your phone is sending you notifications every five seconds and a buddy you are working out with just loves to chat. Or, perhaps, you have an important day at work ahead of you and you can’t stop thinking about it. Whatever is going on in your life, falling victim to distractions in the gym means you’re not only losing the important mental state that promotes muscle growth, but also the most precious thing you have in your life: time. If you are anything like us, you know how juggling work, business, obligations and family matters can be a tough game. Now add to the list your workouts, meal prep, sleep and time to rest. What are we left with? Basically, nothing.

If you’ve been working out for long enough, you know what it means to get in the zone; you are highly concentrated, you are efficient, you know which muscles you are working on. And you finish your workout on time with a feeling of great accomplishment. When you are distracted, be that by your phone, chatty friend or intrusive thoughts, it is easy to lose track of time and spend an extra hour in the gym just wandering around mindlessly without any mission to accomplish. Worse yet, when your mind is elsewhere you are not paying 100 percent attention to your form, which can lead to injury.

If you struggle to get in the zone, here are some tried and true tips to help get you focused:

Limit distractions

Social media is one of the biggest productivity killers of today. You may think checking your latest Facebook ‘likes’ or cat videos in between sets doesn’t distract you. Research has shown, however, that there is no such thing as multitasking. You are only overloading your brain with information that is not relevant to the task you have on hand. So put that phone down; your Instagram will still be there when you are done. Instead, put your attention to resting your muscles and preparing for the next set.

Pick the right gym buddy

A happy and chatty friend may be a good company for a bottle of beer after work. When it comes to working out, however, he or she may be your biggest distraction. If you want to focus on your muscles and time efficiency, find someone who is aligned with you on those goals. Or go alone.

Give supersets a try

Depending on your goals, supersets can be an amazing solution to staying in the zone. Reducing the amount of time you have to just sit around and wait for your muscles to rest can limit mindless thought wandering or the desire to constantly check your phone. As a bonus, you will be able to get a better workout done in a much shorter period of time.

Write your workouts down

Making sure you know exactly what you need to do will eliminate the unnecessary pain of trying to remember what exercise was next. In addition to that, visually seeing the exercise written down helps you to focus more on your task. A written goal brings clarity. It is a powerful reminder of what you have already accomplished and what still needs to be done.

Create an upbeat music list

This one usually goes without saying, but music and its effects on our moods can never be overrated. Upbeat music makes us feel good and it cancels out annoying distractions. Create a few playlists for your different types of workouts. We promise it’ll be better than listening to the couple next to you discussing their dinner plans.

Pick the right workout clothes

When deciding what you’ll wear to the gym, it’s important to focus on two aspects: comfort and motivation. That’s why we’ve designed Dissident brand workout clothes to deliver high performance while also giving you a motivational message to remember why you’re at the gym in the first place.

Stop comparing yourself to others

You are you because you are unique and amazing, and so is that person you’ve been comparing yourself to for the past 10 minutes. You are different, your journey is different, and your body is different. So stop staring at them and focus on yourself, your goals and your workout.

How do you make sure you stay focused? Do you have any tips you’d like to share?

Be Dissident. Be You!

Dissident is a leader in fitness apparel for men and ladies, established to empower, motivate and promote confidence.